"Two Occasions" is an R&B song written by Babyface, Darnell Bristol and Sid Johnson (who was the former manager for Babyface's early group, Manchild).[1] It was produced by Babyface and L.A. Reid for the Deele's third studio album Eyes of a Stranger (1987). The ballad was released as the album's second single in December 1987.[2] It is the only song on the album that features Babyface on lead vocals,[3] which alternate between himself, Bristol, and Carlos "Satin" Greene throughout the course of the song. It has since been remade into a live version with added vocals from Babyface with all original vocals from the Deele intact; this version appeared on the 12-inch maxi single and also three years later on his album, A Closer Look.[4]
| "Two Occasions" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by the Deele | ||||
| from the album Eyes of a Stranger | ||||
| Released | December 23, 1987 | |||
| Recorded | 1987 | |||
| Genre | R&B | |||
| Length | 4:17 | |||
| Label | Solar | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, Darnell "Dee" Bristol, Sid Johnson | |||
| Producer(s) | L.A. Reid, Babyface | |||
| The Deele singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "Two Occasions" on YouTube | ||||
Reception
editCraig Lytle, in his review of the album for AllMusic, called "Two Occasions" a "quiet-storm classic" with "superb arrangement and production", declaring the song "worthy of a number-one ranking."[3] In 1989, the song won a BMI Pop Award.[5]
Although the band's first hit "Body Talk" actually had a higher placement on the R&B chart, "Two Occasions" is widely considered The Deele's most successful single. It peaked at number 10 on the US Billboard Hot 100, number four on the Hot Black Singles chart and number 21 on the Adult Contemporary chart.[2]
Charts
edit| Chart (1988) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100[2] | 10 |
| US Hot Black Singles (Billboard)[2] | 4 |
| US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[2] | 21 |
Legacy
editThe song and Babyface were referenced by Mariah Carey in her 2005 hit song, "We Belong Together", and sampled in the remix.[6]
References
edit- ^ The Deele small biography, SoulTracks
- ^ a b c d e "Billboard". Billboard.com – Artist Chart History – The Deele. Retrieved April 23, 2008.
- ^ a b "Allmusic". allmusic (((Eyes of a Stranger > Overview))).
- ^ "A Closer Look - Babyface | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 25 April 2021.
- ^ "Babyface Awards". Babyface Fan – Awards. November 5, 1989. Archived from the original on July 7, 2011.
- ^ Sanneh, Kelefa (August 4, 2005). "New York Times". The Summer Buzz: Cicadas and Mariah Carey. Retrieved April 2, 2005.